Research

Dental caries, one of the most common global chronic diseases distributed unevenly among populations, is still a major oral health problem in most industrialized countries. It affects 60–90% of school-age children and the vast majority of adults, thus an anti-caries vaccine has long been attractive for broad-based dental health in caries prevention, and in the treatment of large infected popul...

Heartland virus (HRTV) is a novel phlebovirus (Phlebovirus genus, Phenuiviridae family, Bunyavirales order) associated with a severe febrile illness in humans. The original cases of HRTV infections were reported in two Missouri farmers hospitalized with fever, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia in 2009. HRTV is genetically related to the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), ...

Many RNA viruses encode helicases to aid their RNA genome replication and transcription by unwinding structured RNA. Being naturally fused to a protease participating in viral polyprotein processing, the NS3 helicases encoded by the Flaviviridae family viruses are quite unique. Therefore, how these two enzyme modules coordinate in a single polypeptide is of particular interest.

Flavivirus pathogens are taxonomically classified in the genus Flavivirus and family Flaviviridae. These viruses comprise over 70 different pathogens such as Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), and yellow fever virus (YFV). Most flaviviruses are arthropod-borne and cause public health problems worldwidely. However, flavivirus-induced...